[Episode #103] – A Return to Regionalism

Is “peak oil” still something to be concerned about, and if so, what does depletion of conventional oil supply suggest about our future? Our guest in this episode certainly thinks peak oil will be a key factor in the decades ahead, and he foresees a future in which humanity must downsize significantly, both in total population and in the energy intensity of our lifestyles. He believes we’ll have no choice but to return to a more regionally focused way of life, depending on local resources, and doing a lot less travel and shipping. As one of the co-founders of the Association for the Study of Peak Oil, Colin Campbell’s view on the importance of oil to the global economy, and his vision of geological limits leading to declining oil production, has never wavered. And as a petroleum geologist with four decades of experience in finding and producing oil, including performing some of the first experiments with fracking, his knowledge of oil geology is unparalleled. His cautionary perspective serves to highlight the urgency of energy transition, because there are more reasons we need it to succeed in addition to eliminating carbon emissions, otherwise, oil scarcity may yet become a key factor in determining what our futures hold.

Guest:

Dr. Colin Campbell is a retired petroleum geologist whose four-decade career began as a field geologist in 1957. Colin explored for oil and ultimately became an oil company executive. He was a co-founder of the Association for the Study of Peak Oil (ASPO), and is the author of six books on oil depletion.

On the Web: Petroleum Analysis Centre

Recording date: July 22, 2019

Air date: September 4, 2019

Geek rating: 4